Conventional automotive polishing compositions, which are typically wax and/or silicone-based emulsions and pastes, commonly leave an unsightly white residue on polymeric automotive body components (e.g., plastic, vinyl, or rubber surfaces). Accordingly, care should be taken when applying such conventional products to avoid getting the polishing composition on polymeric surfaces. In many cases, the residue is not immediately visible, but rather turns up over time, after exposure to car washes, rain or prolonged exposure to sunlight. Even when care is taken to immediately wipe off conventional polishing compositions from plastic surfaces, the residue problem can still appear over time.
In addition, many automotive polishes cannot be applied in direct sunlight or on hot surfaces, due to undesirably rapid drying. Thus, it is generally recommended that automotive polishes be applied in the shade, and preferably when the automobile surface is relatively cool. This can be inconvenient for consumers who do not have ready access to a shady, yet sufficiently well lighted area to apply the polish, or in climates having relatively high temperatures.
Accordingly, there is an ongoing need for a polishing composition that can be applied to polymeric as well as painted metal surfaces without leaving an unsightly residue thereon, and which can be applied in direct sunlight and on hot surfaces. The liquid polishing compositions of the present invention fulfill this need.